The American Association of Colleges of Nursing or the AACN has recently announced that becoming a doctor of nurse practitioner programs might soon become a necessity for nurses in the US. So far, completing a master’s was considered enough to consolidate one’s career as a nurse, but in accordance with the recent statement made by the AACN, it is apparent that nursing students and professionals should now be opting for BSN to DNP online programs directly in order to secure and broaden career opportunities.

The Job Openings

The AACN has estimated that in the coming five years, employment opportunities are going to go through the roof for nurses in the United States, with over a million jobs becoming available. Apart from the ever growing need for nurses in general, the main contributor to this vacancy will be the fact that a large number of the current nursing force in the US will be retiring. In order to fill in those gaps that are going to be left behind by these extremely experienced professionals, the demand for nurses with doctorate degrees will increase exponentially.

The Lack of Nurse Educators

When it comes to nurse educators, the number is alarmingly low in the US, as declared by the AACN. What this has done is create both job opportunities and an absolute necessity for nursing professionals who are willing to take up teaching. By simply completing one of the reliable online doctoral nursing programs, any regular nurse can become a nurse educator; a job that is less hectic and pays better than being a standard nurse. The online nature of such programs also ensures that a student doesn’t have to leave the day job either.

More Able and Educated Nurses Are Needed

In addition to the above-mentioned job openings, nurses with the highest qualifications will also be essential to further on-going research in healthcare and to enhance the overall quality of present-day healthcare. Specialized nurses must work with the healthcare facilities to make treatment more affordable, without sacrificing profitability to the extent of making it impractical.

Global Opportunities

Just the other day, it was reported that a shortage of available nurses is plaguing many places in the UK, of which South London is a prominent example. Similar conditions are present all over the world and a nurse with a DNP can make a lot of difference in these places. Apart from joining the healthcare facilities as a nursing leader, they can also help to educate the nurses in the vicinity to be better equipped to deal with applicable situations.

As is evident with each passing day, the need for healthcare professionals with a nurse practitioner doctorate degree is increasing around the globe. The situation presents itself to nursing students as not only an opportunity for a much higher income and career progress but also as one that seriously needs better-educated nurses for the improvement of the healthcare system in the country and abroad.